TAH Blog

Ever wonder what to do if you are out walking with your dog and you see a coyotee?

We saw this beautiful picture taken by Mary Parker Sonis recently in the Chapel Hill News and thought we should share a point she makes in her article, "There is great debate over our local coyotes. Some of us revere the return of a native predator, and others worry for their small pets, poultry and personal safety. Perhaps we simply need to exercise caution and learn to coexist with the coyote. Cats need to be kept indoors at night, dogs need to be leashed, chickens need to be properly housed. Pet food should not be left outside."

We looked to Orange County Animal Services for advice. They listed several sites that talked about urban coyotes, but one of the most interesting to me was The Cook County, Illinois, Coyote Project. They followed some 350 coyotes that resided in that urban environment and found that the ones that became a nuisance to the public were ones that had contact with human and pet foods, which backs up Mary's statement of keep your pet's inside, don't leave food or compost out unprotected and hopefully the coyotes here will stay the urban ghost that they are currently.